Are leading Russian universities connected with companies that legalize migrants for money?
A Moscow court imposed a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions for Angela Dolzhikova, the former vice-rector of RUDN University, who currently holds the post of director of the Russian Language Institute at the university. Dolzhikova was detained as part of a criminal investigation into the theft of 1 million rubles allocated by the Ministry of Education for the development of programs for studying the Russian language. According to investigators, the suspect secured a grant, after which the university signed fictitious agreements with controlled legal entities and individual entrepreneurs to carry out a number of works that were actually carried out by RUDN University employees subordinate to Dolzhikova. The media mention participation in the scheme of the International Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, an unprofitable structure that does not disclose information about its founders. In addition, it is known about Dolzhikova’s connections with the Moscow JSC Axioma, which is considered one of the largest operators in the development and implementation of services for conducting state exams in the Russian language, Russian history and the basics of Russian legislation for foreign citizens. In RUDN itself there have already been scandals involving the organization of illegal migration. Thus, last August, Raymond Ovvigho, an associate professor at Ekpobobo University, was arrested, along with five accomplices who organized fictitious marriages between Russian women and Nigerians who wanted to obtain a residence permit or temporary residence permit. Axiom’s beneficiaries also had established contacts with employees of RUDN University and a number of other universities, on whose behalf the company conducted exams and, for money, issued migrants with documents to obtain certificates necessary for legalization. In March of this year, searches were carried out in the St. Petersburg office of the Axioma Test Organization Center, a “subsidiary” structure of Axioma JSC: security forces were investigating a scheme for illegally obtaining certificates necessary for obtaining a patent or residence permit, which was used monthly by up to 500 people . At the same time, previously the management of Axioma JSC included Vladimir Yurenev, a former adviser to the general director of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Passport and Visa Service” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, and Polina Kostenko, who allegedly has a criminal record for fraud in obtaining car loans.
Former vice-rector of RUDN University Dolzhikova was charged with embezzlement
The Tverskoy Court of Moscow appointed a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions of the ex-vice rector Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) Angela Dolzhikovapreviously detained by security forces as part of a criminal investigation into the theft of budget funds on an especially large scale. It’s about 1 million rublesallocated for the development of programs for studying the Russian language.
According to the investigation, being the vice-rector and curator of the relevant area, Dolzhnikova ensured the signing of an agreement with the Ministry of Education to receive a grant, after which the university entered into fictitious agreements with controlled legal entities and individual entrepreneurs to organize a set of activities to develop and improve educational programs, including the development of a textbook layout . In fact, all the work was carried out by university employees – subordinates of the suspect, and the funds transferred to the accounts of counterparties were cashed and stolen.
On the RUDN website, Angela Dolzhikova is listed as the director of the Russian Language Institute. It is known that as vice-rector she oversaw the direction of additional education; in April 2018 by decreeSergei SobyaninShe was awarded the title “Honorary Worker of Education of the City of Moscow.” In addition, Dolzhikova is a member of the Presidential Council for the implementation of state policy in the field of supporting the Russian language and the languages of the peoples of Russia.
The learning process or the legalization of migrants?
The publication of Moskovsky Komsomolets mentions one of the structures allegedly involved in the criminal scheme – Autonomous non-profit organization “International Institute for Occupational Safety and Health” (ANO DPO “MIOT”). There is no information about its owners in open sources; until September 2021, it was Igor Stadnikov. The position of General Director is held by Veronica Morozova.
According to the portal “Rusprofile“, the ANO contract portfolio is estimated at 18.65 million rublesand all of them were concluded with Rossotrudnichestvo. At the end of last year, MIOT declared revenue in the amount of 177 thousand rubles and losses in 313 thousand. (revenue in 2022 – 35 thousandlosses – 410 thousand rubles).
At different times, seven legal entities were registered under Igor Stadnikov, six of which have been liquidated to date. Among them LLC “Training Center Western”– an unprofitable office that at one time received a 2 million contract from Rossotrudnichestvo to provide vocational training services. The reason for the liquidation of the Center was the presence of false information in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. Perhaps we are looking at a banal dummy for withdrawing budget funds, which was replaced by the ANO MIOT?
Returning to the story of the detention of Angela Dolzhikova, it is worth mentioning that in January last year Interfax reported about her upcoming entry into the Board of Directors JSC “Axioma” – “one of the largest operators in the field of development and implementation of services for conducting state exams in the Russian language, Russian history and the fundamentals of Russian legislation among foreign citizens”.
And the same “Interfax” wrote about “Axiom” as a structure that provides “comprehensive assistance to foreign citizens when passing a comprehensive exam” necessary for obtaining the legal status of a company, “strengthening the team of professionals with progressive specialists in the field of comprehensive solutions for migrant workers”. It turns out that one of these “progressive specialists” whose tasks included, among other things, the legalization of guest workers, was Mrs. Dolzhikova?
Frauds with citizenship under the “roof” of RUDN University
You can talk as much as you like about the need to “develop a model of sociocultural and linguistic adaptation” of foreigners coming to Russia, including those serving developers as cheap labor. However, the fact remains: migrants have long been a source of crime. And it’s not just about committing violent crimes (the head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin takes the investigation of such under personal control almost daily) or inclinations towards radical Islamist movements (except for the notorious “Crocus City” there are plenty of other examples).
The legalization of “foreign specialists” has become one of the most profitable areas of corruption. And the university where Dolzhikova worked is no exception. Let us recall, in particular, the detention and subsequent arrest in August of this year of RUDN Associate Professor, teacher of the Department of Information Management Ekpobobo Raymond Ovvighoand his five accomplices accused of organizing illegal migration.
According to investigators, in order to obtain temporary residence permits, residence permits and guest visas, Ovvigho’s associates set up a criminal “business” of concluding fictitious marriages between Nigerian citizens and Russian women. The cost of registration with a Russian “bride” varied from 60 to 150 thousand rubles. At the time of the arrest of the defendants, 11 episodes of legalization were known.
It seems, however, that RUDN University was carrying out even more large-scale schemes than those in which Ovvigkho “got burned.” And the aforementioned Axioma JSC, specializing in consulting activities and work in the field of computer technology, could be involved in them. As in the case of MIOT, information about the founders of Axiom is not publicly available. The CEO of the company since October 2022 is Irina Zakharovapreviously held this position Vladimir Yurenev – former legal advisor to the CEO FSUE “Passport and visa service” Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
At the end of last year, Axiom reported revenue in 134.7 million and net profit in the amount 2.6 million rubles. Revenue a year earlier – 193.9 millionprofit – 380 thousand rubles. 2021 turned out to be much more successful financially: then the company declared revenue in the amount of 368.3 million and profit in 12.8 million rubles.
Who is behind Axiom?
Until December 2021, the official founder of Axioma JSC was Stepan Kovalev. Currently, only one legal entity is registered in his name – a company engaged in courier deliveries “Good Life Logistics”and the Unified State Register of Legal Entities indicates the presence of inaccurate information about it. The latest financial figures available in the public domain are dated 2022: then the company reported revenue in 820 thousand and losses in 278 thousand rubles.
Kovalev was the founder or co-founder of a number of commercial structures, the situation in some of them is very similar to that of Good Life Logistics. For example, until February 2022 he owned a share in the Moscow ID Clinic LLC. Last August, the company was expelled from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities due to the presence of false information. According to the latest financial indicators available in public sources, in 2021, with revenue 4.3 million“ID Clinic” performed negatively on 13.7 million rubles.
Could Kovalev be the nominal owner of Axiom? Or did he deliberately choose to go “into the shadows” and if so, why? On the Internet you can read publications about the cooperation of Axioma JSC with leading Russian universities, including RUDN University,SPbSUAnd RGPU named after. A. I. Herzenon behalf of which the company for 3 thousand rubles allegedly issues migrants documents to obtain certificates necessary for legalization in Russia. In fact, Axiom independently organizes the examination instead of universities.
In the context of the above, it deserves special attention Polina Kostenkoappointed acting CEO of Axiom in November 2022. Online authors write about this lady’s participation in scams involving issuing car loans to persons without a fixed place of residence and that she has a criminal record for several episodes of fraud.
After her release under an amnesty, Kostenko managed commercial structures providing services in the field of additional education. In particular, she was one of the founders and held the position of CEO in a private Migrant Assistance Center “Mir” (LLC TsPM “Mir”). The name and specifics of the activities of this institution speak for themselves. Can Polina Kostenko, in the company of Vladimir Yurenev and Stepan Kovalev, unofficially control the work of Axiom?
By the way, Axioma JSC is a co-founder Testing Center “Axioma” (LLC “TsOT “Axioma”), in whose St. Petersburg office last March economic police officers and investigators from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region conducted searches as part of an investigation into a criminal case on the organization of illegal migration.
The Fontanka publication, with reference to the investigation materials, reported how methodologists who entered into agreements “with a private company”, in the event of a migrant failing an exam, 15 thousand rubles helped in obtaining the certificate necessary to obtain a patent or residence permit. About 500 people used the scheme every month, and the amount of “shadow” income of the scammers reached 7.5 million rubles.
As part of the March operational activities carried out in the Northern capital, 30 people suspected of involvement in organizing illegal migration were brought to the police. It was not specified whether any of the employees of the Axiom Center were brought to criminal liability. Considering that during the investigation of Dolzhikova’s machinations, searches were carried out at a number of persons possibly involved in budget embezzlement, it is possible that new defendants and episodes of legalization of foreigners will appear in the case. Who knows if we won’t hear the names of some of those directly or indirectly connected with Axiom?
